Latching means for dipper doors



April l7, 1945. p. v LARSEN 2,3745108 LATCH'ING MEANS FOR DIPPER DIOORS Filed June 25, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 v 12404 KLAA' EN,

April 17,1945. P, v. LARSE'N 2,374,108

LATGHING MEANS FOR DIPPER DOOR S Filed June 25, 1942 3 SheetsSheet 3 Paw. v. Ame/v,

link is provided at one end with a single transversely extending opening 66, while the other end is somewhat enlarged and is provided with several spaced openings 68, I0, I2 and I4.

The link is detachably mounted between the bearing surtaces 60 and 62 by means of a clevis pin I6 which extends through the apertures 36, 66 and 40. The clevis,.;pin is retainedin position byacotter keyl8j '-I- v Figure 11 shows a perspective view of the clevis pin construction. This pin is provided withgsa round shank 80, one end of which terminates in a substantially rectangular flat head82. A cot-' ter key hole 84 is drilled through the shank at a point adjacent the head. The-thickness of the.

head 82 and the height which the shoulders 52 and 54 extend beyond the outer;. s ide surfaces of the lugs 22 and 24 are approximately edual Hence, it will be understood that when the pin is placed in position in the lug, the top surface of the pin will lie flush with the shoulder, thereby preventingfserious"damageto the head of the pin when it is, brought into contact with the mastructed so that a longitudinallyextendingredge lies'adjacent the shoulderjin order to prevent thepin' fromrotating. V

i The appsite Surfaces 186 and liter the B5 64 are designed to engage'the opposed innersurfaces 00 and 92 of arms 94 and 96 of afbifurcatedlatch lever bar, 98. As. isv seen in, Figuresl, .3 and 4,

one end of the latch lever bar is bifurcated, the

arms of the bifurcation being. provided withthe transversely extending 'coaxially,.aligned, holes I00, I02 and I04, I06 respectively, The apertures I00'and I04 haveoutwardly extending shoulders I08 of a length equal to the thickness of the clevis pin head 82, 'andfcotter keypassages I05 extending through the side walls of the arm 94 and in- 4o tersecting the holes I00 andI04. H v The link 64 is .pivotally and detachably connected to the end of the latch lever bar by a -clevi spinIIB which passes through the openings I04, I06 and any selected pasage 60, 10, 12 or;

1.4 r ams pa rsn Q thelatc ba pr vided with an opening I0 9-. (Fi gure 4). ,A.clevis pin 16 is passed through thealigned openings I04, I06 and the opening L09 in order,toysecurethelatch bar detachably and pivotally to the latch lever.

, A latch lever guide member Il0;is providedin "order to limit the movement; of the. latch lever both in the, direction of its normal movement and laterally thereof; (FiguresLsz ands) The guide member comprises a bar. IIZ-Vhaving a longitudinally extending slotrI I4 adapted toreceive slidably thereinthe handleportionof the latch lever 98. One end of themember H0 is 'provided with an ofiset flange. 'I I8. The other end has a projecting portion'I I6. Both the flange and the projecting portion have transversely-extend- :ing openings such as those indicated at'I20 and meeting these transitions, the steps are as follows:

The latch lever bar 98 as shown in Figure l occupies the first position. In the second position the link 64 is disconnected from the aperture 36 formed in the cross bar I0 and is pivotally connected to the aperture 36, disposed laterally-from the aperture 36 on the said cross bar. In position 3, the link 64 isdisconnected from the aperture 38 and returned to the aperture 36 and the latch lever bar is disconnected from the aperture 14 and coupled to the aperture I2. In the fourth position the link 64 is disconnetced from the aperture 36 and moved to and connected with the aperture 38.

In the fifth position of the latching mechanism the latch lever bar is connected with the aperture I0 and the link 64 is connected at its other end to the aperture 36. The sixth movement comprises the transition of the link 64 to the aperture-30. In position seven, the latch lever bar is connected to the aperture of the link 64, the other end of the link 64 being pivotally connected to the aperture 36, and the final or eighth position comprises the transference of the pivotal connecting of the link 64 to the aper ture 38.

In addition to the above advantages obtained by my latching mechanism, it will be noted that the working parts of my device may be reversed with respect to the latch bar 20 in order to per m'it either right or left hand operation,

The clevis pins used throughout my invention at each pivotal point are identical, thus permitting them to be interchanged. These pins are non-threaded, a factor which contributes to a long lasting and trouble free mechanism.

It will be apparent that while I have shown and described my invention in the preferred forms, many changes and modifications may be made in the structures disclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention, defined in the following claims.

Iclaim: l

1. A dipper door latching mechanism comprising a cross member rigidly secured to one face or saiddipper door, said cross member being provided with a centrallydisposed passageway and a plurality of apertures disposed on opposite sides of said passageway at right angles thereto, .a latch barslidably mounted in said passageway, a latch lever bar, said latch lever bar being Divotally connected intermediate its ends to one end of latch lever bar being selectively connected for pivotal movement to one of said openings.

2. A dipper door latching mechanism as de- 7 fined in claim 1, and a latch lever guide,said

latch lever guide having one of its ends releasably secured to said door, the other end of said latch lever being detachably secured in one of said apertures formed in said cross bar, said latch lever bar guide and said link member being disposed on opposite sides of said latch bar.

3'. A dipper door latching mechanism comprising means for supporting a latch bar on one face of said dipper doorfor axial sliding movement into and out of-latching position, a latch lever bar, said latch bar having one-end pivotally can'- nected intermediate the ends of said latch lever bar, a link, means for pivoting said link to said to said bifurcated end of said latch lever bar between said arms and, being selectively connected door on either side of said latch bar, means pivotally connecting one end of said latch lever bar to the other end of said link selectively in any one of a plurality of positions, a latch-lever bar guide detachably secured to said door, and means for detachably securing said latch lever bar guide to said door on either side or said latch bar.

4. In a latching mechanism for a dipper door, a latch bar supported on said door for axial sliding movement into and out of latching position,

a latch lever bar having one of its ends bifurcated, said latch bar being pivotally secured between the arms of the bifurcated end portion and intermediate the ends of said latch lever bar, a link pivoted at one of its ends to said door, the other end of said link being pivotally connected thereto in any one of a plurality of positions. 7

5. In the latching mechanism for a dipper door, a latch bar supported on said door for axial sliding movement into and outof latching position, a latch lever bar, said latch bar having one end pivotally connected intermediate the ends of said- 

